No police investigation into CFU meeting at Hyatt: CoP Gibbs

Police Commissioner Dwayne Gibbs is not satisfied that there are adequate grounds for any investigation into a meeting of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) which was held on May 10th and 11th at the Hyatt Hotel.

The Opposition People's National Movement (PNM) asked Gibbs to investigate allegations that bribes amount to US$1 million were offered to CFU delegates at the meeting to support the candidacy of Mohamed bin Hamman, who challenging Sepp Blatter for the presidency of FIFA.

Bin Hamman eventually dropped out, leaving the field clear for Blatter to be re-elected unopposed for another four-year term.

However, FIFA's Ethics Committee suspended bin Hamman and FIFA Vice President Jack Warner along with two other CFU members based on a file submitted to FIFA by the general secretary of the regional football body, CONCACAF.

That file claimed that delegates were offered bribes at the Port of Spain meeting. However Warner and bin Hamman have both denied that and many of the football associations in the CFU have said no money was offered.

The PNM wrote the Gibbs based on all the media hype around the matter to ask whether polie were investigating the CFU meeting.

Opposition Senator Fitzgerald Hinds believes that if the money was handed out as alleged there there could have been a breach of either the Exchange Control Act or the Customs Act.

"In response, Gibbs stated Tuesday that so far there is no evidence to suggest that an police should launch an investigation. "Until we have information that would suggest that we enter into some sort of a criminal investigation, we won't investigate. There are many allegations," he said.

Gibbs said police must act on more than just suspicion.